


A Second Chance

by SketchArt



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Akumatized Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Akumatized Main Character(s), Angst, Corruption, Daminette, F/M, Gotham City - Freeform, How Do I Tag, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, I Don't Even Know, MariBat, Maridami, Minor Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Please Kill Me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-10-19
Packaged: 2020-10-05 06:23:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20484323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SketchArt/pseuds/SketchArt
Summary: As Hawkmoth and Mayura grew stronger, half of Paris would soon become Akumatized, while the other half began to live in fear, and would begin to doubt the heroes.  With new villains coming in from Gotham like the Joker and Harley Quinn, the hero team has hit an all time low, constantly battling day and night, with near to no rests in between.  Many of the former heroes have become puppets for Hawkmoth, either by Akumatization, or their miraculous be coming corrupted, leaving the hero team left with Ladybug, Ryuko, Viperion, and Queen Bee.When Master Fu proposes a plan to recruit new heroes from Gotham, it's up to Marinette to find them, and bring them back to Paris, to stop Hawkmoth's reign.  But will the Justice League of America come to aid France in their time of need?  Will the Justice League be enough to stop Hawkmoth's new army?





	1. The Move

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).

"RYUKO!" Ladybug screamed as she watched her friend's body freeze out of shock as she was hoisted into the air by a black leathered villain. A scream tore through the dragon miraculous user's throat, as a leather clawed hand gripped her by the neck, radiating a dark energy. Ryuko's scream rung in the air as her pupils shrunk and stared into the villainous green eyes. Ryuko's eyes darted violently from her spotted friend and her attacker, before her body was dropped onto the ground, leaving her curled up in a ball, grasping her neck where the cataclysm was used.

Queen Bee began viciously attacking the green eyed villain with no hesitation while Ladybug rushed over to Kagami, leaving the Snake miraculous to battle more of Hawkmoth's army.

"RYUKO!" Ladybug screamed. Ryuko began coughing hysterically while she struggled to look at Ladybug properly, her eyes a hazy mess.

"This is a losing battle," Ryuko began, tears beginning to form, and her voice turning hoarse, "Ladybug, we're only a group of 16 year olds, only 4 of us at that. With Mayura and Hawkmoth working alongside eachother to build a massive army, including half of paris, and bringing in more villains all the way from America, we don't stand a chance."

"Ryuko, don't talk like that. We still have the miraculous. We are still fighting. We are still here-" Ladybug started, as she began to pick up Ryuko.

"BUT FOR HOW LONG? Even the Guardian is beginning to lose hope. We can't do this on our own."

"Save your breath. We need to get you to the Guardian. VIPERION, QUEEN BEE, RETREET!" Ladybug barked over the noises of the Akumas. Queen Bee and Viperion looked relieved, their moves beginning to grow tired and slow, their footing becoming sloppy. Quickly, the began making their way to their teammates, and began their journey over to the Guardian's home.

\--------°~°--------

"Ladybug, what happened? Have you lead any Akuma's here?" the Guardian asked in a low, rushed voice.

"Ryuko got Cataclysmed, no Akuma's followed us on the way here," Ladybug quickly responded with.

"Inside, all of you, quickly!" Master Fu ordered, shutting the door swiftly behind him. Wayz, who peaked through to see the commotion, immediately began closing windows and shutting the curtains, as Master Fu began to retrieve medicinal herbs. Ladybug layed Ryuko down, wincing upon hearing a small groan of pain. Immediately, Master Fu set to work, grinding herbs and murmuring under his breath. Queen Bee and Viperion exchanged a look, before nodding to one another.

"We will be in the next room over, let us know how Kagami is doing, we're gonna detransform in the other room," Queen Bee murmured softly, with a look of sadness in her eyes.

"We'll leave some food in the other room for you and Tikki," Viperion added, before both of them left the room. Ladybug could only slowly nod and softly murmur, "Tikki, spots off," before they swiftly left the room. Tikki, worn out and exhausted, hugged Marinette's cheek silently before leaving to the next room. Once all the herbs were applied, Master Fu sat down next to the young girl in silence, struggling to find the right words. Eventually, he found the strength to speak.

"You can't win this fight alone. You need more allies," he said softly.

"Who can I trust as a miraculous holder? Lila convinced the class that Ladybug was using all of them as pawns, and then lured them into becoming Hawkmoth's puppets, Chat Noir's miraculous has been corrupted leaving him to be controlled by Hawkmoth, and half of Paris is under Hawkmoth's control! The other half of Paris has lost faith in us and are avoiding us, and refuse to fight back from the villains, choosing to stay silent and try to sneak out of France. But with the Government trying to prevent anyone from entering and leaving, we're just stuck here in this mess! Not to mention, that law is pointless seeing as Hawkmoth has managed to sneak in Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, the Joker, and so many more already! I don't know what to do!" Marinette cried, as the dam broke with tears streaming down her face as her nose began to clog up and her body beginning to shake. Master Fu hugged her tightly as he spoke to her gently.

"None of this is your fault, you have done all you could. Perhaps there is still hope, Marinette. With Hawkmoth bringing in more villains, who is to say we can't bring in more hero's?"

"What are you talking about? There isn't anyone left to play hero for us-"

"In America, they have a system called the Justice League. Inside, there are many heroes sworn to protect America, and if we gain contact with them, we may be able to gain new allies," Master Fu explained.

"That...that could work! How do we call for them?" Marinette asked desperately.

"I have tried to gain contact with them, but with the government not allowing us to leave, and Hawkmoth has turned Alya into his puppet, preventing us from gaining access to the internet while she is still in her Lady Wi-Fi form."

"How are we supposed to gain contact with them? We can't leave Paris unguarded, and we need their help desperately," Marinette rushed out.

"We can use the horse miraculous to open a portal to America, allowing the person to teleport, but we can't send everyone. Paris still needs to be guarded as you said. Whoever goes needs to leave with the miraculous box, to keep it out of Hawkmoth's hands," Master Fu responded.

"Who will be sent? I can't possibly go, my miraculous is the only one who will stand a fighting chance against Chat Noir's!" Marinette asked, fidgeting in her seat.

"You must go. You and I are the only ones who have knowledge of the Guardians, your safety along with the Miraculous box is top priority. I have taught you what I could, and while you are away, I will fight in your place," Master Fu finished, with a tired and worn out look in his eyes.

"No, you can't be serious...you can't! Master Fu, you're getting older. You can't fight in your condition-"

"I have lived my life and my purpose. Now quickly, we can't waste time," he said, before abruptly getting up and making his way to the door. When opening the door, Luka and Chloe fell though and hit the ground, with sheepish and embarrassed expressions on their faces. Marinette looked shocked, realizing that they had heard everything, while Master Fu shook his head as he made his way over to the Miracle Box. Opening it, he quickly pulled out the horse miraculous and placed it in Marinette's hands. Suddenly, a figure began to form. The Kwami introduced themself as Kaalki, and was about to continue before Master Fu cut them off. Master Fu gripped the miraculous and muttered the trigger word to activate the horse's ability. Marinette looked worriedly at Luka and Chloe, and received forced smiles in return.

"Don't worry Dupain-Cheng, have some more faith in us, particularly me. After all, I can more than manage to take down Hawkmoth's army long before you get back!" Chloe rushed out, with a faked confidence as forced chuckles left the other's mouthes. "Just don't get yourself injured in America. I promise you, I won't be coming to save your utterly ridiculous butt when you trip all over yourself there!" They all knew that was a lie.

Kaalki, quickly grasping how serious the situation was, asked where their destination was. Master Fu paused, before saying in a firm voice...

"Gotham, America."


	2. Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wasn't sure how I really felt about this chapter, but I'm gonna wing it. This chapter includes three different perspectives of the story unraveling, all of them take place at different times at once. I really appreciate the kudos and comments from last time, they made my day! I hope you enjoy!

“Please this is Marc from Paris, France. We desperately need your help, two super villains named Hawkmoth and Mayura, and combine, they’ve made a huge army that has been destroying Paris. Please you have to believe us, our home is being destroyed, and once they have Paris, we have no doubt they, along with the newest villains will be targeting you next, and with an army on their side…Our heroes are growing more and more tired as the days continue, we are part of a small rebellion group against the villains,” Marc said, in a hushed voice. Aurore and Max fidgeted beside him, before speaking up.

“We know you have a lot to do, but please. We only have three heroes, all of which are about 16 years old, and we have some american villains as well. They call themselves the Joker, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and I think another is named Two-Face? We are living in constant fear, and the heroes have been fighting non-stop since the war began. Please, we are begging you!” Aurore cried. Marc furiously shushed her and soon they heard the rattling of a bush. Marc mouthed the words, “Send help,” towards the camera before shutting it off. Max swiftly opened up his laptop and began typing furiously, trying to bypass Lady Wi-Fi’s control. As soon as he did, he hit send and sent it to the Justice League HC. Aurore picked up her umbrella as Marc gripped his spare pair of keys. They nodded, and began to approach the bush.

Suddenly, a figure raced in front of them, with red hair swishing back and forth quickly. Before them, stood a man in a black and white suite with a black mask. On his chest, three primary colors were imprinted as a black beret topped his hair.

Marc’s eyes widen as he realized which Akuma this was, nearly dropping his keys. Aurore on the other hand, just tightened her grip on her umbrella. Marc’s hand was shaking as he stepped in front of Aurore. 

“Evillustrator.”

\-------┌( ಠ‿ಠ)┘-------

By the end of the video, Clark was beyond tired and annoyed. Another call came in from Paris, France requesting back up from imaginary villains. A physco named the Bubbler, Princess Fragrance? A weirdo named Mr.Pidgeon? How gullible do these kids think they are? There has been no documentation of these villains in Paris, France, and no heroes have ever been documented either. Only a couple strange reports from people claiming Paris was dangerous were found, but these reports abruptly stopped as of late. The Justice League has more important things to do than to investigate absurd claims made by teenagers, especially with names like Gigantitan. Really, a little toddler wanting a lollipop, terrifying right? Clark sighed as he closed the video file. 

Suddenly, a dark figure hit the glass with a loud thud, and a tiny groan was heard.

“Dude, Bruce, all you have to do is just use the door. That was bulletproof glass for a reason...Just use the door like a normal person, God…” Clark said, hand hitting his forehead. Footsteps were heard and soon the door opened, revealing a tall man holding a keycard. His mask was messed up and tilted, as one ear fell flat. “Uh, your mask is a little, no not there, no like on the left, yeah that’s it. Yeah just tilt it a little...yeah you’re all good. Now, what is it you’re here for?” 

“Recently the crimes have been dwindling, there has been no sign of the Joker, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and several other criminals,” he said, throwing a file of papers on the desk. “We have no idea what they’re planning or where they went. I’ve called in some of the other Justice League members, Diana should be arriving later today.”

“Have you tried searching outside of Gotham? They could just be out of town getting supplies…” Clark said, while flipping through the files, reading their last sightings.

“What could possibly be out of town that Gotham doesn’t already have? Whatever they could need, they certainly wouldn’t need to be inactive for months,” Bruce countered. “Have we received any reports that seem unusual?”

“Other than the usual false reports from Paris? Nothing much…” Clark muttered.

“There have been reports from Paris, France? Show them to me,” Bruce stated.

“Look, we’ve received these reports months ago, and we’ve looked into it. All damage to the Eiffel tower being destroyed, or the city of Paris flooding have all been proven false. The tower is 100% in tact and there has never been reported damage or reconstruction records ever documented. Not to mention, the only bit of evidence we have of the damage taking place is from a newbie’s blog called the Ladyblog, and even that is full of rubbish. I’ve already made sure everything is 100% true and none of it seems to-” Clark started, but was abruptly cut off.

“I’ll be the judge of that. Show me the footage. Any lead is better than none,” Bruce stated, already making his way to the computer.

\-------┌( ಠ‿ಠ)┘-------

“Tikki this was a ridiculous idea! Why did I agree to this?” Marinette spoke, pulling her hair and ruining her pigtails.

“Marinette, you need to calm down, I’m sure we could find somewhere to spend the night…” Tikki tried to reason.

“Where would we spend the night? I don't have the money for a hotel, and I don’t have any relatives to stay with in Gotham. Besides, we can’t just sleep outside, what will happen to the miraculous box? I need to keep it safe!” Marinette cried, pacing back and forth behind a McDonalds. “How will I even meet the heroes of Gotham? What am I supposed to do, just rob a bank and hope they will come?”

“Gotham has one of the highest crime rates in America, I’m sure they will show up eventually, Marinette. Besides, doesn’t your father have any relatives you could stay with?” Tikki offered, while perched on Marinette’s shoulder.

“I think he had an older distant cousin he grew up with, but he left the family a long time ago and we haven’t spoken since he came to visit when I was a little girl. I don’t think he would still remember me…” Marinette trailed off.

“Why do you think that, Marinette? You’re father has always been adamant about visiting family and spending time with each other!” Tikki proclaimed proudly.

“My papa never really stated why we lost touch with him, only that it was dangerous for us to keep in contact with him, and then refused to speak of him again…”

“Marinette...I think it’s worth a try. What have you got to lose? We need somewhere to stay,” Tikki stated quietly.

“I suppose there really isn’t an option. Last time I heard of him, he was serving as a Butler for a Family. Tikki, do you have enough energy to transform?”

“I should have enough to travel, but I won’t be able to give you enough energy to fight in the suit.”

“That’s alright, the Wayne Manor should be nearby. I’ve only seen a few photos from Papa’s photo album but I should be able to recognize it. Tikki, spots on!”

\-------┌( ಠ‿ಠ)┘-------

It took two hours to track down the house, but eventually Marinette saw the towers of the Wayne Manor, and landed quickly on her feet inside the gates. She slowly walked up to the door, clutching the miracle box to her chest for dear life, and knocked on the door. A tall man with a mustache bowed deeply, wearing a black suit and black gloves.

“You’re back early, Master Bru-” the man said, before freezing on the spot. “Sabine?” Marinette’s eyes watered as she shook her head.

“Marinette,” the girl said, fidgeting with her feet. He stood there, unmoving. 

“Is Tom here, with you?” Marinette’s tears ran down her face, face turning red and her body began shaking. Dropping the box, she collided with him and began rapidly shaking her head while sobbing into his suit. He rubbed her back, before turning his attention to the box. He froze, recognizing the box.

“Come inside,” he said, picking up the box swiftly and pushing her inside, and quickly shut the door.

He guided her towards the living room and sat the box down onto the table. Once he calmed her down, he began asking questions.

“What are you doing here in Gotham? Especially without your parents, do you have any idea how dangerous it is for you to be in Gotham, without supervision?”

“In Paris...” Marinette trailed off, unsure of how to start, “In Paris, there have been villains that have been attacking Paris, creating armies of super villains, bringing American villains in, and taking controlling civilians.” Marinette continued on, explaining the situation of Paris to him in detail, identities and all. Eventually, Tikki came out from behind Marinette with tired fell asleep on her shoulder out of exhaustion. Marinette continued on.

“We need somewhere to stay until we get into contact with Gotham’s heroes. I am so sorry to be an inconvenience to you and I know you’re probably extremely busy, but...Tikki and I were hoping we could stay with you. We don’t have money to rent a hotel room and we need to keep the miracle box safe. I understand if-” but Alfred cut her off.

“You are free to stay here as my guest, it’s about time I repay Tom for what he’s done for me all those years ago. You may stay here for as long as you need. You are family, and you will be safe here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I apologize if this chapter is short, but I look forward to writing the next chapter.


	3. A Misunderstanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the wait but here's a summary of the sections.
> 
> [Advertisement Voice]
> 
> WELCOME! Over here to the left we have a heartfelt battle between Evillustrator and a group of rebels. Will Marc's feelings for Nathaniel get in the way, or will he get the job done?
> 
> On the right here, we have the latest new Batman vs Superman argument that just came in. It's a limited addition and includes a bonus Wonder Women add on to the set.
> 
> Now, we just recently added a new product onto the shelves, including a misunderstanding, panic, and an argument that is an partner set to the previous.
> 
> Let's see if first impressions really do stick.

“Please...Nathaniel don’t do this. I know you have to be in there!” Marc cried, hands trembling as his knees felt numb.

“That’s Evillustrator to you. What we had was nice Marc, but if you truly cared you would want me to be happy. I finally feel at peace, I can draw to my hearts content and every piece become a reality. If you truly cared, you wouldn’t be trying to stop me right now,” Evillustrator said.

“I know you, Nathaniel, better than I know myself. I know that you’ll regret what you’ve done, please come with us and give me your pen. Then, after ladybug gets here, the damage you’ve caused can be reversed, and we can go back to-”

“Go back to what? When you and your class gets to be happy while I sit in silence in my class? While I get harassed and bullied, constantly put in your shadow while you’re basking in attention? The spotlight will soak you up. Every creation I make is made with so much passion and time, yet nothing ever competes with yours. Every word I say means nothing in comparison to people like Marinette! Lila and Hawkmoth have helped me realize this, and you will pay for what you’ve done,” Evillustrator yelled, grabbing his pen and quickly drawing roughly on his board.

His sketching was rushed and rough, as he quickly drew harsh lines, forming many, many stick figures. Each stick figure slowly stood up , and soon there was an army, each one immediately charging.

Max quickly slammed his laptop shut and moved it aside on the ground, abandoning his bag. 

Aurore on the other hand, immediately started fighting back, her umbrella dueling as both a shield and a sword. Marc quickly wore off the shock and started grabbing his keys in his hand and began slashing wildly at the stick figures, but to no avail. Max, however had a different approach.

“Look, at his tablet. It’s flashing red, it must be running out of battery so he’s drawing messier and faster,” Max said, pointing to Evillustrator.

“Why is that? He didn’t have that issue before!” Aurore yelled, as she extended her umbrella to block the overhead stick figures, jumping down upon her.

“Hawkmoth must be running out of energy. If the tablet is shutting down, then I’m guessing he’s too busy to save the stick figures. We need to make him use all the rest of the battery without saving the stick figure drawing. If the tablet shuts down, then hopefully the drawings won’t be saved, and they’ll disappear!” Marc yelled, as he attacked the stick figure jumping behind from Max.

Aurore exchanged a look between the two boys before yelling, “Guys! It’s okay! I can handle myself over here!”

Evillustrator immediately began to draw more complicated figures. Gotcha right where I want you! If I can just get a few more drawings out, they’ll be right where I want them! Evillustrator schemed.

Aurore however, quickly dodged all their attacks, and began to run wildly while using her umbrella as a shield in front of her, pushing all the other stick figures in front of her out of the way as she charged on through.

Evillustrator began to get more and more frustrated, as he drew more and more. Eventually, Marc and Max joined in, causing distractions from all over the place. As time went on, Evillustrator began to get more and more furious, until one point, he was fed up. He quickly drew out a sword and soon it formed at the feet of one of his stick figures, as it charged for Aurore. That’ll teach her, no more Mr.Nice GuyTM. He thought grimly.

Marc, however, was horrified and immediately ran to Aurore. Marc began to profusely fight the figure but as time went on, his footing got lazier until eventually Marc was knocked on the ground as Aurore was holding off more stick figures.

The stick figure wasted no time in charging forth, extending their sword and raising it above their head.

Nathaniel’s eyes widened as he tried to scream, yet his voice was silenced. He began trying to erase the stick figures, but lost track of which stick figure was which and who had the sword.

I’m so sorry I failed you, Nathaniel. Please forgive me. Marc said, giving up and welcoming death’s embrace. He closed his eyes and waited.

Yet it never came.

All at once, all of the stick figures began to glitch out and became distorted, and right before the faceless stick figure’s sword came down, a mere inch away from Marc’s eyes, it too froze. Soon afterwards, each stick figure disappeared, and so did the sword.

Using Evillustrator’s frozen shock to his advantage, Max leaped up and snatched the pen away from him, and Aurore slammed it into two. Immediately, Evillustrator’s costume dropped as he de-transformed. Nathaniel stood there, horrified as he took in the site around him, as saw the smashed pen and dead drawing tablet beside him. He eyes watered as he began to quietly sob, his nose becoming stuffy and his face becoming red. His shoulders and hands shook as Marc slowly stepped towards him.

“I-I’m so sorry...I’ve d-done horrible horrible things. I sw-swear I never meant any of it,” he said, as he hiccuped and sniffled. He then let out a pained sob as Marc immediately embraced him, resting Nathaniel’s head on his shoulder. Aurore strangled the butterfly in her hands as Max grabbed his previously empty computer case as they shoved it inside. Aurore and Max began to laugh and cry out of relief as they collapsed in relief on the ground.

“It’s alright, Nathaniel. I know that wasn’t you just there, and you’re okay now, you’re safe. I promise you that,” Marc said, brushing away his tears.

“But I let Hawkmoth take advantage of me! I let him take control! The things I’ve done are unforgivable-”

“You were manipulated, taken advantage of, and used. But dwelling on it won’t fix it. What will help fix is taking Hawkmoth and Mayura down, along with the other villains that are coming to Paris. Please, Nathaniel we need you. I need you,” Marc spoke softly. For a moment, there was silence until...

“I’ll join you,” Nathaniel spoke at last.

~~~~~~~~~~~~(⌐■_■)~~~~~~~~~~~~

“-we are living in constant fear, and the heroes have been fighting non-stop since the war began. Please, we are begging you!.......send help.”

Bruce paused before sighing. “Was that all of them?” he asked, trying to analyze and break down the information.

“Sure is. As I said, these claims are getting barbaric. Anyone can hire an animation studio and editor to make these silly edits, but there hasn’t been any documentation of actual property damage, and look at the Eiffel tower! It’s being destroyed in every one of these and yet it’s ‘magically’ rebuilt in the next video. Not to mention, some girl on a teenager’s blog is trying to present herself as a Mary Sue, she’s delusional and stuck in a fantasy to claim that she’s best friends with a superheroes and celebrities. This has got to be some online joke or trend-”

“But where would these teenagers get the budgets from? What about the news articles written by adults?” Bruce challenged.

“You can’t seriously think these could be real. Ladybug and Chat Noir? Really? No one’s super powers could reverse the broken arms of people, the ill and the sick, and repair city damage in one fell swoop. Or better yet, destroy the Eiffel tower with one touch. It’s CGI, probably funded by those adults too,” Clark countered.

“What about super strength, flight, speed, laser vision?” Bruce argued.

“Supposedly all you have to do to beat these villains is break the options, like a photograph. So threatening, just terrifying right?” Clark challenged.

“Your weakness if a rock. A rock. Is it so far fetched that these could maybe be real? The Miraculous, Ladybug, Chat Noir, they could easily be real or fake. We need to do more investigation than this,” Bruce concluded.

“Did someone say the miraculous?” Diana said, freezing in her spot by the doorway.

“Oh wow, looks someone uses the door like a normal person...COUGH COUGH BRUCE COUGH COUGH…”

Diana gave him a stern glare.

“We were just going over video feeds of the current condition of Paris. Villains like the Joker, Harley Quinn, and Ivy have all been spotted in Paris,” Bruce said, tuning out Clark.

“No, before that you said there was a black cat and ladybug Miraculous?” Diana said, with wide eyes.

“Yes, there were supposedly reports of two...young adults I think? They were dressed up as vigilantes and were supposedly fighting crime, why do you ask? Have you heard of them?” Bruce asked.

“Heard of them? Why my mother grew up telling me stories about her days as the super heroine Ladybug! Her tales were my bedtime stories for years!” she retold, with a fond look in her eyes.

“Your mother? That girl looked nothing like Hippolyta, are you sure you’re not mixing it up with something else?” Bruce asked.

“I’m quite sure, after all my mother gave up being Ladybug a long time ago. The Ladybug Miraculous doesn’t just have a sworn duty to one place, but to the rest of the world. My mother couldn’t travel to the rest of the world while looking after the amazons, and thus entrusted the miraculous to one of the Guardians,” she spoke.

“Who was is this Guardian? The Black Cat guy?” Clark questioned.

“Oh heavens no, the Guardians were much much older than that boy is. These superheroes are powered by an object called the Miraculous, granting each user immense power. The Guardians are meant to protect these Miraculous, but after the incident at one of the temples...only one of them is still left...but anyways, the Ladybug and Chat Noir Miraculous are extremely powerful, the strongest Miraculous actually,” she explained, while walking over to the video files.

“What do these Miraculous do?” asked Bruce.

“And again, how does that explain the damage to the city?” Clark added.

“Each Miraculous has a different ability; time travel, teleportation, complete destruction, and creation, you name it. Each Miraculous has a unique ability, that they can only use once. The Ladybug Miraculous represents luck and has the ability to reverse any Miraculous caused damage. Buildings, broken bones, illness, you name it. The only thing the Miraculous of creation and luck can’t reverse is death, for death lies in the hands of the counter partner, the Black Cat,” Wonder Woman said, as she sped up the videos and glimpsed through them. 

“The Black Cat represents death and misfortune, and with a simple touch of a hand, entire buildings can collapse and fade to nothing within a second. If you’re unprotected with a Miraculous suit, the Black Cat’s abilities can kill you in less than a second, and Ladybug won’t be able to reverse that damage. Each Miraculous, when new, can only use their abilities once in a battle, but as they grow more experienced, can get more abilities or quirks for each battle,” Wonder Woman finished.

“So the reason there is undocumented damage is due to the Ladybug woman?” Bruce finally asked, while side glancing at Clark.

“Precisely, meaning these claims may very well be legitimate. However, there still isn’t much seen with Gotham’s villains, there are barely any sightings,” Diana added.

“Any lead is still good enough for me,” Bruce said, already getting ready to leave for Paris, and booking an appointment on his phone. However, he stopped when he looked down to see his phone exploding with phone calls and texts from Alfred. This of course sent Bruce into a panic, Alfred knew he was going to be out in the suit, and to not call unless there were emergencies.

Quickly, Bruce dialed Alfred back while rushing out the window door. Immediately, Alfred picked up.

“We are going to have a visitor. I will be preparing the guest bedroom. Please arrive immediately, it has to do with the condition of Paris.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~(⌐■_■)~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I’ll be right, Marinette. I must go and prepare your room. Would you like me to prepare you some tea?” Alfred asked, while grabbing her backpack. He beckoned to the Miracle Box, but Marinette shook her head. She shook her head, taking the box and placing it in her lap.

“I’ll be alright, you’ve done so much for me already. I will never be able to repay you for your kindness,” she responded. Alfred nodded. As he was about to leave, he got a phone call from Master Bruce.

“Wait right here, I’ll be back soon.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~(⌐■_■)~~~~~~~~~~~~

Each day was worse than the last. There were no known leads about the Joker’s whereabouts, and Damian was getting impatient and pent up. With nowhere else to put his energy, he took Titus out for a run.

Damian knew the Joker was planning something, and it was driving him nuts. As they strolled around the city, Titus could tell his heart just wasn’t in it and abruptly pulled on his shirt, nearly causing him to fall over.

“What is it, Titus?” Damian asked, before taking notice of the sky. His father would surely be home by now. He sighed before changing course, and making his way back home.

When he reached the doorstep, he realized the light was on in the spare bedroom. Strange. He thought. Father rarely allows guests over, and always gives them a heads up to be more cautious.

He shrugged as he made his way over to the door. Suddenly, Titus made a run for it inside and bolted inside towards the living room.

Damian stood up alarmed, ready to attack and dashed around the corner towards the living room.

On the couch, sat a small girl clutching a box. Her hair was a dreadful mess, and her clothes looked tattered and worn out. She fidgeting on the couch as she looked around and glanced out the window.

Titus ran over and started barking and trying to grab at and bite the strange box. He could sense something was strange about the girl, something he wasn’t familiar with and it sent him into a frizzy. It sent the short girl into a frenzy and she instantly grabbed at the box and made a dash for it. She leaped over the couch and knocked over the lamp next to it. She looked panicked but was quickly stopped before she reached the door.

She collided with Damian and fell onto the ground with Titus catching up and barking in her ears as she lie on the ground, shaking in fear. Her eyes were teary and unfocused, almost lost in the moment. The Miracle Box shook, and the sounds of jewels and valuables sliding around were heard from inside the box.  
It wouldn’t be the first time someone had attempted to break into the Wayne Manor to steal its valuables, and Damian was sure it wouldn’t be the last. Titus’s ears were flattened, his tail between his legs, as his eyes were filled with fear and concern. Damian’s heart clenched at the sight of Titus looking so scared, before his look hardened into a cold glare at the stranger.

“WHO ARE YOU AND HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE?” Damian demanded, already posed to attack. When she didn’t respond, he tried to grab the box while Titus was still barking in her ear, fearful of the stranger.

She froze for only a moment before slamming her elbow into his chin and quickly sidestepping him. Damian charged, startling her enough to drop the box, hearing her call out : 

“TIKKI SP-”

Alfred burst into the room stunning the both of them and separated the two immediately. Damian was about to lunge before Alfred grabbed him from behind and forcefully pulled him off, and then swiftly grabbed the box and placed it into Marinette’s hands. He grabbed Damian by the shirt and tugged on Titus’s leash, dragging them both outside of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the lovely feedback, I truly do appreciate all of the love and support this fic has gotten so far, it absolutely blows my mind that I've gotten so much feedback from this. This chapter in particular is almost 3000 words, sorry if it's a bit long. It was definitely longer than I was intending it to be, but I think it turned out for the best. Also, apologies if there are any errors in here. I'll be going back in later to double check and proofread it. If you catch any errors grammatically, feel free to let me know!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette tries to clear up some misunderstandings, meanwhile Hawkmoth debuting a new villain to the public.

“What on Earth were you thinking, Alfred? That girl is in there with valuables, she broke in here!” Damian cried out exasperated. No wonder the light was on, she must’ve been snooping around, Damian thought bitterly.

“She is a guest here, Young Master Damian, and that box belongs to her. I invited her here myself, and I offered her an invitation to stay for as long as she needs. Her home life is...not suitable for her at this moment,” Alfred reprimanded, trailing off at the end. “I understand your concerns but her father is my cousin, and I expect a thorough apology to my niece. She’s family to me, so I ask that you do not behave so ill mannered towards her again.” Alfred gestured towards the living room, but Damian just glared at the girl sitting there. He tugged on Titus's leash and swiftly left the room altogether. Alfred stood there for a moment, before sighing and entering the living room. Marinette whipped her head around at the sound of footsteps, before sighing out of relief at the sight of Alfred.

"I apologize for the behavior of the Young Master, he has some behavioral issues that Master Bruce tends to turn a blind eye too. I can speak to him-"

"Absolutely not. I understand why he sees me as a threat. I'm a total stranger who just showed up in his home, I get it. I'm not angry...just shaken up right now," Marinette explained, cutting him off. Alfred nodded.

"Head upstairs to your room, it's at the second floor, the 3rd room to the right. It's the first hallway you see at the 2nd flight of stairs," Alfred directed. "The bedroom light should be on, and a pair of sleepwear will be left on the bed." Marinette once again enveloped him in a hug.

"I can't thank you enough for this, thank you so, so much..."

He hugged her back for a moment before pointing towards the staircase at the end of the hallway. Marinette nodded and made her way over.

~~~~~~\\(°¬°)/~~~~~~

Marinette walked down the dark corridor before stopping at the third door. She opened up the door to be greeted with a large room. There was a large window showing the full moon, with a few candles lit around the room. A pair of black pajamas were laying on the large, fancy bed. The walls were a dark and scary gray, and Marinette took notice to the dust beginning to form at the bookshelf. She set down the box at the desk and glanced out the window. Tikki silently nuzzled into her cheek tiredly, before floating towards the end of the bed and quietly nuzzling up to the blanket, falling fast asleep.

Marinette got changed quickly, taking care not to mess up her bandages covering her arms and torso.

She was about to blow out her candles as she looked out the window, before noticing a dark hooded figure make his over the buildings, sprinting towards the manor. Marinette's heart raced wildly as she quickly ran out the door, about to alert Alfred. Tikki woke up with a start at the sound, hearing the loud sound of doors being swung open. They both backed away from the main entrance, hiding behind the corner.

That's when they saw him.

A tall man with a black mask and a large black cape draping over him. He had a neon yellow symbol of a bat on his chest, and a matching utility belt. Marinette was about to run in there, before seeing the same kid from before angrily walk over there, followed by Alfred. Marinette froze as they argued.

"Greetings Master Bruce-"

"Father, Alfred decided to invite some weird girl to the Manor and I'm fairly sure she's trying to steal-"

Wait...his father?

"Absolutely not! I will not tolerate you speaking so ill about her-"

"She's making Titus feel unsafe-"

"You're making HER feel unsafe-"

"Enough. Why did you call me over here, Alfred?"

"But-"

"My cousin’s daughter came here from Paris seeking help. There's a war going on in Paris right now, about the Miraculous," Alfred started.

"Hawkmoth. That's his name, correct?" Bruce interrupted, recalling hearing his name from the reports from Paris.

"Correct, Master Bruce," Alfred stated.

Marinette's eyes widened, processing the information.

Alfred was about to continue before Bruce held his hand up.

"Tomorrow morning we will discuss what is happening. Until then, I will be in the bat cave looking over the security feeds and claims, to see what is true and what is false," Bruce stated, already pushing past both of them.

"But father the girl-"

"Is Alfred's niece (correct me if I’m wrong) and may have information on the Joker's whereabouts. She will be...tolerated while her stay is here. Are we clear?" Bruce cut off. Damian just sighed.

"...yes, father."

Marinette just paused, before turning around and quietly making her way back to her room.

~~~~~~\\(°¬°)/~~~~~~

Damian just stared at the ceiling, before rolling out of bed. He could smell fresh pancakes and bacon downstairs, maybe even a few waffles. Alfred seemed to be trying out a new recipe, Damian thought. Titus began pawing at his legs and barking in his ears. Damian just smiled softly, patted his head and made his way out of his room.

When he stumbled into the kitchen however, Alfred was in fact not baking. Instead, the same short girl had her sleeves rolled up and wearing an apron, humming a tune quietly as she navigated the kitchen.

"What are you doing here?" Damian asked, suspicious and cautious.

"I wanted to apologize for the mix up from yesterday. I really wasn't trying to attack you or steal your belongings, I know you were only trying to defend yourself," Marinette's spoke softly and sincerely. Damian eyes the pancakes suspiciously.

"How do I know these pancakes aren't drugged or poisoned and won't kill me the moment I take a bite?" Damian asked, pointing to the top of the stack.

Marinette just paused, before walking over and eating the first pancake of the stack herself.

"I know you must be disappointed but surprise surprise, I'm still alive. I assure you, the pancakes are safe," she smiled softly, her pride evident in her voice. Damian caved and gathered a few pancakes and set them on his plate. He about to roll his eyes when he bit into the first pancake, surprised at the taste of them. They were and sweet, but overwhelmingly so, tasty enough to brighten up almost anyone’s day.

She's just trying to butter me up, Damian thought. Well, no point in letting good pancakes go to waste.

Marinette just smirked proudly as she started on the next batch.

~~~~~~\\(°¬°)/~~~~~~

A tall figure stepped forward confidently before stopped at his destination.

Knock knock.

Pause.

Knock knock knock.

Pause.

Knock.

Suddenly the ground below him shook, lowering him down to a dark room.

A man with dark slicked by hair and a purple suit walked in. His skin was a pale white, emphasizing his off-putting smile.

"I sent out some of my men to one of the rebel camps, should give them a bit of a scare," the pale man spoke.

"I see," spoke another, this one walking with a cane, with a gray shiny mask and a dark suit. Surrounding him, were small, dark, purple butterflies. "Fly away my little akumas, trace that fear and utilize it." Several butterflies took flight, swiftly darting out of the shattered window.

"So I hear you encountered a new hero this time, correct?" Hawkmoth asked, not bothering to turn around.

"An old man, dressed up like a mutant ninja turtle. Though the spotted little lady suddenly deemed our entertainment too boring, she didn't even bother to show up," the Joker spoke, almost offended, taking a step forward.

"Then we must draw her out," Hawkmoth spoke.

"And just how do you intend that?"

"Simple. You didn't truly think there was only one miraculous box, did you? Many were destroyed years ago, but there were several guardians for a reason. We managed to salvage a few that were scattered across the globe and utilize them," Hawkmoth explained.

"Are they as powerful as the previous ones?" the Joker asked, excitedly.

"Sadly, no. These are ranked as minor miraculous, but enough to deal great damage. Lady Wi-Fi, come forth!" Hawkmoth called. She quickly stepped forward, holding out a necklace. It had a bright green stone, that the Joker immediately reached out to touch. Once he made contact with it, it shape shifted to become a bright green bow tie, emitting a dark presence about it.

"This is the hawk miraculous, it grants the wielder heightened speed, and will grant you a once per battle ability to see through walls for 30 seconds. After you use it, you will have 3 minutes until you detransform. To trigger the ability, say, 'Arise my seeing eyes!' To transform, say, 'Kite, talons out!'"  
The joker smiled wildly before telling the trigger words. Suddenly, his old suit was replaced with a long trench coat, that was jet black. Underneath was a suit that was a dark purple, and he wore a black top hat with a purple stripe in the middle. In his hand was a single desk of cards, the two joker cards having a set of seeing eyes on them, allowing him to see what the cards sees. His mask was a black and purple mask, adorned with jewels at the edge. The Joker began to cackle wildly, almost concerning Hawkmoth himself.

"Let’s bring some smiles on those kids’ faces."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was planning on making this longer but I wasn't feel well today, I nearly passed out :D so if the chapter feels a little short it's because I was planning on making it longer... :P But I hope you enjoy! You're comments, love and support motivate me to keep it up and I can't tell you how much it means to me!


	5. Tensions Rise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette meets some of the Bat Family, and isn't given the warmest of welcomes.

A pale-skinned boy with once bright green eyes stood shaking and shivering. All he could feel was this empty, dark void. Surrounding him, was a dark pit of emptiness. The cold surrounded him as mists of dark smoke brushed up against him once in a while. It left a sickly dark feeling all over him, leaving him weak and defenseless. In front of the boy stood another figure, dressed in a black leather suit, his eyes were a disturbingly bright purple, almost identical to Chat Noir, aside from the sickly twisted grin on his face. The boy’s knees trembled before he collapsed, his finger aching from the burden of the corrupted miraculous that lay on it.

I need to break the curse, the blonde sickly pale boy thought. His green eyes were tired, and almost all the light was gone from them. The purple-eyed monster just cackled a high pitched laugh, before stepping back. From beyond the purple-eyed copycat, another man stepped forward. His suit was a dark gray, and for a split second he looked almost guilty and pained at the sight of his son on the ground, but his stare hardened and he stepped forwards.

“Adrien, I will offer once more. I’m begging you, son, please join me. I’m trying to help your mother, if you gave me your miraculous willingly I can remove the corruption, you won’t have to suffer and then we can work together to heal your mother. You, Emilie, Natathlie, the Gorilla and I, we can all have the live happily ever after we-”

“NO! You...you were the one who did this to me. You corrupted my miraculous, YOU’RE THE ONE WHO RUINED OUR FAMILY! You’ve cut open the wound that mom left when she...when she left this world. You aren’t letting heal our family, you aren’t letting go, you aren’t moving forwards!”

“I’m doing everything for us, I can’t give up on our family! I’m trying to bring her back, for us, for you, my son-”

“HOW DARE YOU INSULT FATHERS BY DARING TO CALL YOURSELF ONE! My friends made me strong, they taught me what I know and made me who I am, they are my family and I won’t let you hurt them! You’ve torn MY family apart, a family which you have no part of!”

“I...I am sacrificing EVERYTHING for this plan to succeed! I have every move calculated, I have every upper hand, and I will reverse everything, I promise, once I get Ladybug’s earrings. Once I get them I will become powerful, stronger than ever before, and I will be able to protect us. I need your help, Adrien, I’ve sacrificed too much to get to this point, I need you to stand by my side.”

“You think you know what sacrifice is? You have NEVER given to anyone else, you are greedy, manipulative and abusive on so...so many levels. You have only ever taken more than you gave, I will never betray Ladybug, break me down as much you want. But I will never turn my back on my family as you have yours.”

Hawkmoth sighed before hitting his cane loudly on the ground and turning on his heel to leave. He took one last look of longing towards Adrien, before vanishing from the void, the purple-eyed Chat Noir following suite, both returning back to the physical world. The pale boy was left, shivering in the darkness.

\-------(ಥ﹏ಥ)-------

The rest of the family filed into the room, and some additional new faces seemed to be around. Scoping out the dining hall, Marinette sees Bruce and Alfred file into the room, followed by two boys, both tall with black hair and blue eyes, though one of them has a white stripe of white in his hair. She froze as she took in the sight of them, as they did the same. Bruce held up his hand towards and then gave a look towards Alfred. The boys nodded and took a seat at the table.

There was an awkward silence until the one with the white hair broke the silence.

“So you’re Alfred’s...cousin’s daughter? Is that right?” he asked.

“Uh, yes. My name is Marinette. And your name is…?” she asked hesitantly.

“Jason. Jason Todd. Besides me is my brother, Tim Drake. We’re Bruce’s sons, as is Damian who you seem to have met,” he responded stiffly. Marinette nods, before facing Bruce.

Bruce holds out his hand to shake her hand, and she does so, while maintaining eye contact.

“I’m Bruce Wayne, my other children aren’t home right now due to work. How long do you plan to stay in Gotham?”

“I’m hoping to leave as soon as possible- n-not that I hate it here, here I’m sure there are nice things to see in Gotham, especially since you’ve been so kind as to host me here! I’m just hoping to get in contact with the Justice League, and bring back assistance with me to fight Hawkmoth and his army,” Marinette said while fidgeting under his cold stare.

Bruce nodded once at her before looking towards Alfred.

“We can have that arranged, no?”

He turns to his sons and gives them a stern look, daring them to say otherwise. Damian looked like he was about to say something before Tim elbowed him in the ribs. He bit back his words, opting to attempt as cold of a stare as his father.

Marinette looked anxious, shrinking in on herself as the tension in the room rose. Alfred stepped in, noticing her distress, and placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head at Bruce. Bruce paused for a moment, surprised, before seating himself down at the dining hall table. The rest of the standing brothers followed as the morning offered a silent breakfast.

\--------(☞ﾟ∀ﾟ)☞-------

The sound of another building crumpling shook the old man out of his shock.

Ryuuko grabbed the last remaining children and rushed them through the tunnels, following from the back as Viperion lead them in the front. Queen Bee just stood there numb, seeing the building collapse upon themselves, reminding her of the people who they couldn’t save. Master Fu nearly dared to run out there again, to see who they could save, but Queen Bee grabbed his wrist and ran as fast as she could.

They hurried into the tunnel as quickly as they could, hearing the opening to the tunnel beginning to collapse with every step they took. Children were heard sniffling in the front but were silenced by Viperion’s shushing, as the children tried to hold in their tears. They were nearly completely silent as they made their way through the tunnel, the Guardian keeping his hand on the wall as he walked on through the tunnels.

Then, they heard the sounds of footsteps from behind the Guardian and Queen Bee, accompanied by the sounds of boulders being sliced. The children gasped as Viperion attempted to quiet them, but Ryuuko realized it was too late. She grabbed several children and began running past him. Viperion gave up quieting the children, and grabbed the remaining ones and began following Kagami. The sounds of footsteps from behind sped up and Queen Bee and Master Fu exchanged a look. Queen Bee looked towards Master Fu panicked.

“Get everyone to the safety camps. Once Ladybug returns we will have the upper hand, especially with the help from the Justice League. I will stay behind here and make sure you all can escape. Besides, I’m getting old. My time here is limited, but your future is limitless, Queen Bee,” Master Fu said. He gripped his miraculous tightly, before shaking his head. He slipped off the Miraculous and placed it into Queen Bee’s hands. She looked down at the miraculous in shock, before looking back up at him. “Get my Miraculous out of here, we can’t risk Hawkmoth getting it. Now hurry, before you can no longer escape.” Queen Bee debated the options in her head, before nodding. She ran out of there, silent tears brewing from her eyes. I’m sorry Ladybug, she thought. I’m so sorry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: There was some confusion (that I only read about last night,) that I took the idea of Marinette being related to Alfred from another AU. Rest assured, this fic was created before I dived too deep into Maribat, I hadn’t seen another fic doing this and I didn’t want them to just be like oh cute black hair and blue eyes check and check okay she’s let inside the bat fam now. I don’t at all hate this trope and I think it’s cute, I just wanted there to be more angst and distrust, keyword distrust, and introduced Alfred and Tom as cousins, to give Marinette a reason to be let into the Wayne Manor. Thus they were close but didn’t grow up together, only really writing letters as they were kids until they met in real life when they were older. Thus, different accents. It gave Marinette a reason to be let into the Wayne Manor, while still having most of the Bat Fam distrusting her to be there, but tolerating her because of Alfred. I hope that clears that up!
> 
> PS: I’m so sorry this chapter was short. I’ve been busy these last two weeks, busier than I was expecting. The next chapter will be longer, and that’s probably when Marinette will be introduced to the Justice League. I’ll also probably introduce Tom and Sabine next chapter as well, so stay tuned!

**Author's Note:**

> God I am so sorry for this disaster. This was my first ever attempt at fan fiction and I haven't written in so long. I apologize if this fic seems rushed, I had a huge inspiration to add to the Maribat AU created by Ozmav. 😅
> 
> Tumblr : @FSketchArt


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